Pushbutton selector assembly



March 10, 1970 I. PI I E L ETAL 3,499,576

PUSHBUTTON ASSEMBLY Filed March 1, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet l -FIG. Iv

FIG.2

or"! G a ldm w E 35.4 2 2 I5 I g Mn! man? I24 5 INVENTORS 3 PITEL 47/ 2R. s. SILVERMAN F EC. CORNINE By ATTORNEKS March 10, 1970 Filed March 1,1968 1. PITEL ETAL PUSHBUTTON SELECTOR ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. S.SILVERMAN EC. CORNINE A 7' TOR/VEVS March 10, 1970 v I. PITIEL ETAL 3,99,57

PUSHBUTTON SELECTOR, ASSEMBLY Filed March 1, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 F IG.5

SILVERMAN I PITEL M/VE/VTORS I. R. 'F.C.CORNINE A TTORNEKS United StatesPatent 3,499,576 PUSHBU'ITON SELECTOR ASSEMBLY Irving Pitel, Metuchen,Floyd C. Cornine, Red Bank,

and Richard S. Silverman, Union, N.J., assignors to AutomaticMerchandising Machine Mfg. Corporation,

Avenel, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 1, 1968, Ser. No.709,613 Int. Cl. ,G07f /26 US. Cl. 221-125 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE In a coin-operated vending machine, a pushbutton selectorassembly, whereby, on depositing a coin, one may, by pushing aparticular button, select one of a series of different articlesavailable to be vended. Novel structural and operative features areprovided for locking the assembly on such actuation of the button untildelivery of the so-selected article, for actuating the selected articlevending mechanism and for resetting the buttons after discharge of thearticle.

This invention relates to a machine for vending of a selected article ondepositing a coin, a selector button actuating the vending circuit forthe desired articles. Pursant to the invention means are provided forautomatically holding the selector button, when pressed, locked againstrelease, until completion of the vending cycle, and for automaticallylocking the remaining buttons, precluding actuation of any until thecompletion of the vending cycle for the selected article, whereupon allbuttons are released to normal position, and are thus made available for(the next occasion of selective actuation of a button for repetition ofthe cycle).

Pursuant to the invention, the button assembly, locking mechanism andswitch holding means may be manufactured as a complete unit, which iscompact, rugged and durable in use, and which may be readily installedand wired to the vending circuits to be controlled, in a convenient andpositive fashion, and readily secured to the vending machine or removedtherefrom for inspection, servicing and replacment.

The drawings, illustrating procedure and devices useful in carrying outthe invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of theinvention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices andprocedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate likeparts:

FIG. 1 is a partly fragmentary, top plan view of a pushbutton selectorassembly embodying the invention, with the plungers shown in normal(open) position, taken at the top of FIG. 5,

FIG. 2 is a partly fragmentary bottom plan view thereof taken at line2-2 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional, elevational view, taken at line 33 ofFIG. 5,

FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof, with one button shown pressed,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken at line 55 of FIG.1,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, showing the position of theparts on pressing a selector button, and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view, showing the position of the partson so pressing a selector button and movement of the plate, locking thebutton.

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises a casing 10 of preferablytubular, hollow, elongated form (FIG. 1) with (FIG. 5) top and bottomwall portions 11, 12 and front and rear portions 13 and 14, fabricatedof one or more pieces of material to define an essentially hollowcasing. The casing 10 may be formed unitarily, or, as shown in FIG. 1,of several pieces of suitable material, secured together in any desiredor convenient manner. The front and rear portions 13, 14 thereof areapertured or otherwise for-med to slidably receive a series of buttons15, which may be of any desired number (preferably corresponding withthe number of vending circuits for the different products to be vended)and controlled by switches such as 31, 32. The buttons 15 so slidablymounted in the front and rear portionse 13, 14 of casing 10 are urged toa first (inoperative) position at which they all are normally urged topartly extend or project (FIGS. 1, 2) out of the casing, by springs 16positioned (FIG. 5) around the button interiorly of the casing andbearing at opposite ends against the inner face of the rear wall 14 ofthe casing and against the pin 17 which passes through and is thuscarried by the button or plunger 15; a description of one button willssufiice for all.

Pins 17 pass (FIGS. 3, 5) through (and are thus keyed to) the plungers15 and extend therebeyond and through aligned apertures 18, 18 (FIGS. 5,6, 7) respectively of the top and bottom wall portions 11, 12, of thecasing 10, adjacent the front wall 13.

An elongated plunger latching plate 22 (FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 7) is slidablypositioned on the upper wall 11 of the casing in any suitable orconvenient manner, as for example, by studs 23 fixed to and extendingupwardly of the upper wall 11 of the casing and freely passing throughslots 24 in the plate 22, to thus axially slidably mount the plate 22.The plate 22 is normally urged to a first position, so that the pins 17(fixed to buttons 15) will be freely reciprocably received intheapertures 18, 18 of the casing and in the L-shaped slots 25 in plate22. The slot 25 has (FIGS. 1, 4) a major elongated mouth portion 27terminating at the forward edge 28 of the plate 22 and aligned with theaperture 18 of top wall 11 of the plate 22 in the (normal) position ofthe latter responsive to spring 30 or other means (-FIG. 1). The spring30 may (FIG. 1) be secured to opposite ends to plate 22 and to thecasing or to the pin 23 extending from the casing.

Pursuant to the invention, means are actuated automatically responsiveto movement of a button 15 (customarily marked or aligned with indiciaregarding the article of merchandise to be thus vended). The selectedbutton is thus moved, for example, to the position shown at A in FIGS.4, 7, whereupon means, provided pursuant to the invention, automaticallymove plate 22 axially (B, in FIG. 3) against the tension of spring 30until the pin 17 is (FIG. 7) received and locked in the lower end 46 ofslot 25; electrical means, thus actuated, may include'a switch orswitches 31, 32 having actuating pins or arms 32' in the path ofmovement of pin 17 responsive to movement of a movement of plunger 15.Thereby means 33-such as (FIG. 1) electromagnetic, solenoid, or othersuitable means, connected as at 34, with extension 22 of locking plate22 are actuated. The mouth portion 27 of slot 25 thus moved past thelocation of the casing aperture 18, locks (FIG. 7) the pin portion 17 ofthe so pressed (FIG. 3) button 15. Pin 17 so locked, is urged by spring16 into abutment with flange 35 of plunger locking plate 22. Flanges 35of plate 22 are spaced apart by the throat portions 27 so formed in theplate.

On movement of a selected button, the plunger casing 22 moving from itsnormal (FIG. 1) to locking (-FIG. 7) position, the pin 17 of the plungerso moved is (due to spring 16) held against the angularly formed leadingedge 47 of flange 35 and so held until return of plate 22 to its normal(FIG. 1) position. Means may be provided, pursuant to the invention, forautomatically concurrently locking the remaining plungers on movement ofone plunger. I

The solenoid or other holding component 33,-so energized on movement ofa selector button 15, holds plate 22 against accidental retraction untilthe completion of, for example, a vending cycle or circuit. The switch32 so closed (for example) by the so moved plunger 15 closes the vendingcircuit for a predetermined time lapse or until discharge of the articlevended or other desired cycle termination. At or prior to such time thesolenoid holding circuit is opened and the solenoid de-energized,releasing the plate 22, the latter returning to normal (FIG. 1) positionresponsive to spring 30.

Pursuant to the invention, means are provided for locking the particularplunger when actuated as above described. Said means may (FIGS. 3, 4)comprise a plurality of discs 38 freely slidably disposed axially in thecasing adjacent the front wall 10 thereof beneath (FIG. the top portion11 of the casing and intermediate said top portion and a channel plate39 spaced therefrom. Discs 38 are thus movable in a plane angularly ofthe plane of movement of the buttons 15. The discs are arranged normallyin line with the pins 17, a pair of discs abutting in line with a pinand thus being readily separable while so aligned but resisting movementof the pin when not so aligned. Means other than discs, switches and thelike may be used in lieu thereof within the scope and purview of thisinvention. On actuation of plunger 15, its pin 17 is moved therewith(FIG. 2) to a position intermediate a pair of discs 38 (FIG. 3); all ofthe discs are thus shifted out of line when, due to movement of one pinaligned pair of discs, the remaining (FIG. 4) disc pairs abutment pointsare offset from or disaligned in relation to the other pins; the latterand their plungers are locked against movement. This condition continueswhile one plunger remains pressed or locked, thus preventing movement ofanother plunger during that time.

The flanges 35 are spaced along the forward edge of plate 22 so as todefine therebetween openings to the angled major elongated mouthportions 27 of slots 25, the flanges being disposed in crossing relationto the casing apertures 18 in the normal position of plate 22 (FIG. 1).On pressing a button 15, its pin 17 actuates (FIG. 6) the switchassociated with the button. The pin would contact the mouth portion 27of slot 25 to move the plate 22 on such movement of button supplementaryto or in lieu of or in aid of movement of plate 22 pursuant to actuationof the switch 32. The leading edges 47 of flanges 35 (that is, the endof the flange first to register with the pin on movement of the plate)is outwardly directed so as to ease the pin into position if the buttonis not fully pressed or held; the opposite (or trailing) 28 of flange 35is downwardly inclined.

While the foregoing disclosure of exemplary embodiments is made inaccordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited thereto or thereby, the inventive scope beingdefined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In .a machine for selectively vending a product on movement of aselective one of a series of plungers axially slidably disposed in acasing in the machine, and normally urged to extend therefrom in a firstposition, a plate movably disposed on said casing,

pins secured to said plungers and extending therefrom and movabletherewith,

said casing and plate having slots therein for such movement of theselected plunger pin therein,

said casing slots being disposed parallel to the axis of movement ofsaid plungers in said casing,

flanges on said plate partially disposed adjacent said plate slots, sothat portions of the plate slots will be disposed beyond said flanges,

means urging the plate to a predetermined first position,

wherein the portions of the plate slots beyond the flanges are disposedin crossing relation to the casing slots, so that on movement of theselected plunger, the pin thereof may be moved in said casing slot andinto said plate slot portion beyond said flange, and

means, actuated on such movement of the said pin of selected plungerinto said portion of said plate slot, to move the plate from said firstposition to a position wherein the said plate flange will be disposed incrossing relation to the casing slot, to thereby prevent the so selectedplunger pin from moving out of said portion of said plate slot andthereby holding said so selected plunger in its said so moved position.

2. In a machine for selectively vending a product, as set forth in claim1,

said slots in said plate each having an angled mouth portion beyond saidplate flange to facilitate entry of the selected plunger pin into thesaid portion of the slot, beyond the flange.

3. In a machine for selectively vending a product, as set forth in claim2,

said flanges having leading edges outwardly directed relative to theplate slots, to facilitate movement of said pin of the plunger so movedout of said portion of said plate slot on return of said plate to itssaid first position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,319,821 5/1967 Payne 221-2,076,564 4/1937 Hoban 194-10 X 3,164,294 1/ 1965 Phillips et al 221125X FOREIGN PATENTS 366,607 2/1932 Great Britain.

0 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner

